Still Haunted
by Vol lady
Summary: At the end of "The Haunted Gun," Senator Jud Robson was killed by his aide, Salazar, to keep him from killing Jarrod. But when they return to Stockton, Salazar tells everyone that an unknown assassin killed Robson, and politics fight with the truth.
1. Chapter 1

Still Haunted

Chapter 1

When his aide, Salazar, killed Senator Jud Robson, it took some quick thinking and serious talking on Jarrod Barkley's part to keep the man from spinning a completely false yarn out of it. Robson had been seeing ghosts, threats to his well-being that didn't exist, and Jarrod was the first to acknowledge it. That made him a threat in Robson's eyes, and it was only by Salazar's interference that Robson did not kill Jarrod in the belief that Jarrod was part of a conspiracy to kill him.

Salazar knew the Senator had come apart, that he was mentally unstable and had been for quite some time, but when he killed Robson, he wanted to keep the "legend" alive. He wanted to claim Robson's unreal enemies had killed him. Jarrod refused to go along with it, and at first it seemed Jarrod had talked Salazar into telling the truth. But something happened when they rode into Stockton with Robson's body tied across his horse. People came running, looking, and someone yelled, "He was right! They were out to kill him! They killed him!"

The hallucination spread like wildfire. Jarrod and Salazar said nothing at first, Jarrod believing that as soon as they told the sheriff the truth, it would all be cleared up. But Salazar heard what the people were saying. Robson had been killed by a conspiracy of his enemies. By the time Jarrod and Salazar got into the sheriff's office, Salazar had changed his story. "I never saw who shot him, Sheriff," Salazar said. "Someone in hiding, someone who had followed him or suspected he'd be out there with Mr. Barkley."

"Wait a minute," Jarrod said quickly. "That's not what happened at all, Sheriff."

Now the sheriff looked completely confused. Here were two important, trustworthy men with two different stories about how a United States Senator had died, right here in this sheriff's jurisdiction. This was the last thing he needed. "If it's not the truth, Jarrod, why don't you tell me what is."

"I was on my way here to see the district attorney and have him subpoena Senator Robson to appear at the inquest, rather than call it off so the Senator could return to Washington," Jarrod said. "Steve, the Senator has not been a well man."

"That's a lie!" Salazar broke in.

Jarrod glared at him. "It's the truth. Senator Robson has been seeing conspiracies where none exist. He killed an unarmed man because he saw a gun that did not exist. And when I left for town, he saw me as a threat. He saw me as part of whatever conspiracies his mind had conjured up. Salazar killed him because he was about to kill me, and as you can see, I'm unarmed."

The sheriff looked at Salazar. "Is this true?"

Salazar did not even look nervous. "I don't know whether Mr. Barkley is really a part of any conspiracy or not, but someone under cover somewhere shot and killed Senator Robson not half an hour ago. I did not kill him."

"Salazar, that's a lie!" Jarrod pounded the desk.

Salazar backed up as the sheriff held Jarrod back. "All right, all right," the Sheriff said. "Looks like we'll be having a different inquest than we planned. I want both of you to go over to the district attorney's office with me while we set this up."

"I need to return to Washington right away," Salazar said.

"No, you don't," the sheriff said. "If you want your version of this story told, you'll need to stick around for an inquest. Otherwise, you may find yourself in jail on a murder and perjury charge."

Salazar looked uncomfortable now, but he had sunk himself in up to his knees and had to stick with the lie.

"Come on," the sheriff said and herded Jarrod and Salazar out the door in front of him.

People were still gathered and talking loudly when they came out. The sheriff yelled at a particular man to take Robson to the undertaker while he kept Jarrod and Salazar in front of him. The crowd followed them down the street to the district attorney's office.

Jarrod heard more than one person yell, "Did Barkley kill the Senator?"

Jarrod glared at Salazar, and as soon as they were in the courthouse and away from the crowd, Jarrod confronted him. "If you let this lie continue to get out of hand, I'll see you in a court of law for slander."

"All right, all right," the sheriff said and pulled Jarrod away. "If it is a lie and he doesn't straighten it out, he'll be in jail, Jarrod. You'll have to wait your turn. Come on."

They kept on going to the district attorney's office. The DA heard them out, looked them over. Salazar repeated his story – someone unknown and under cover killed the Senator. Jarrod repeated that it was Salazar who killed him, because the Senator was about to kill Jarrod.

"Well, now, this is one can of worms," the DA said. "You got thirty seconds. Do either of you want to change your story?"

"No," Jarrod said flatly and right away.

Salazar also said, "No," just as confidently.

"All right," the DA said. "We'll set an inquest for tomorrow. Mr. Salazar, if you were planning to go back to Washington, don't do it. Jarrod, don't you go anywhere either. Sheriff, I'll let you question each of them further at your convenience but do it today and do it separately."

Salazar asked to be questioned first, and Jarrod did not mind all that much. It would give him the last word. He went to his office to wait things out and to send a runner with a message back to the ranch to explain what had happened and was happening. After he did, he paced, looking out of his window, watching the people still gathered in the street – watching him. He thought he knew these people, but now, suddenly, the eyes looking his way were full of mistrust. Salazar's story was taking hold. Robson's hallucination was turning into the truth. People were starting to believe that Jarrod was complicit in the Senator's murder. They didn't know why, but they were believing it.

The sheriff came to Jarrod's office about half an hour later. As soon as Jarrod invited him in, Jarrod said, "Steve, Salazar's story is a complete fiction. He's trying to cover up the truth to keep a dead man's image alive. I had nothing to do with Robson's killing, and neither did anyone else. It was Salazar, shooting him to save my life. I saw him."

"Calm down, Jarrod," the sheriff said.

"Did he change his story?"

"No, he's sticking with it," the Sheriff said. "And when I asked him if he thought you were part of the conspiracy to kill the Senator, he said he didn't know."

"My God, Steve, that's a bald-faced lie! He knows good and well there's no conspiracy for me to be a part of! He told me flat out that Robson has been coming apart and disintegrating in front of his eyes for a long time!"

"He's not saying that now."

"Only because there's a mob out there who wants to believe the lie!"

"Jarrod," the sheriff said calmly, "you know as well as I do that when people want to believe the lie and you insist on telling them the truth, they'll destroy you."

"They'll destroy me even if I go along with the lie! They're sizing me up for a rope already!" Jarrod blurted out.

"Between me and you, I'll take your word over Salazar's any day, and I'll say so to anybody who asks, but in the meantime, you best go home and stay there. Because you're right. Those people out there want the lie, not the truth, and they will destroy you one way or another rather than admit to swallowing a lie."

Jarrod growled, looking out the window again. Fists were starting to shake at him now.

"Have you sent word to your family about what's happened?" the Sheriff asked.

"Yes," Jarrod said. "Only a little while ago. Steve, I'd rather head out of here and keep my family from coming into town right now. Can you give me an escort?"

"I'll take you myself," the sheriff said. "Let's go."

They went outside, and the sheriff immediately had to begin yelling at people to break up and go home. Jarrod headed straight for his horse, hitched in front of the sheriff's office next to the sheriff's. "Where's Salazar?" he asked as they walked.

"In the hotel," the Sheriff said.

Somebody went to grab Jarrod. Jarrod pushed him off and readied himself for whoever was coming next.

The sheriff pushed the man away, saying, "I'll arrest the next man who tries something like that! I'm taking Mr. Barkley home and I'll make sure he gets there and stays there! The rest of you go on about your business!"

Jarrod and the sheriff mounted up, but Jarrod eyed everyone who was eyeing him. No one was leaving. They watched Jarrod and the sheriff ride out of town, and Jarrod knew not a person in that crowd believed anything but the lie they wanted to believe.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Jarrod and the sheriff reached the ranch, they saw Victoria and Audra were already climbing into a buggy to come to town. Jarrod waved them off, and they climbed down again as Jarrod dismounted.

"Jarrod, are you all right?" Victoria asked and came to his arms quickly.

"I'm fine," Jarrod said.

The sheriff said, "Jarrod, I'll get word to you about the inquest. You stay right here until then, got me?"

Jarrod nodded. "I understand, Steve. It won't be a problem."

The sheriff nodded, turned and rode away.

Victoria and Audra both looked alarmed, at the way Jarrod looked, at the way the sheriff looked at him. "What's going on?" Audra asked. "Are you under arrest?"

"Not exactly," Jarrod said, handing his horse of to one of the stablemen then walked into the house with his mother and sister.

"We sent for Nick and Heath," Audra said. "We were going to meet them on the road to town."

"They'll come here when we don't meet them," Victoria said. "Jarrod, what happened?"

They went into the house, and Jarrod left his hat on the table in the foyer. "Well, there are two versions to that, and therein lies the problem," he said. "Come on, sit down, I'll explain."

Victoria and Audra sat down on the settee as Jarrod poured himself a drink that he really needed. Just as he turned to tell his mother and sister what happened, the front door opened and Nick and Heath hurried in.

"What happened?" Nick asked. "We didn't see you on the road. Are you all right, Jarrod?"

"I'm fine," Jarrod said, "but Jud Robson isn't."

"The runner said he was dead," Victoria said, clearly shaken.

Jarrod nodded. "He followed me to town, caught up to me as I was cutting cross-country to make the trip faster." Jarrod took a deep breath. "I know you may not believe this, but he accused me of being a part of a conspiracy to kill him."

"What?" Nick said.

"No, I believe you," Victoria said. "He said practically the same thing to me before he left to go after you."

"He pulled his gun on me," Jarrod said. "I wasn't carrying one. I couldn't do anything about it. He was just about to kill me when his man Salazar shot him. I didn't even know Salazar was there, but he told me he's been worried for quite a while. The Senator has been seeing conspiracies that don't exist. He wasn't the same man he used to be."

"But why did the sheriff bring you home?" Audra asked. "If it was Senator Robson who tried to kill you – "

"Because that's not what the good people of Stockton believed when they saw us bring Jud into town," Jarrod said. "They believe he was killed by those conspirators who don't exist. They bought the ghost story Jud had convinced himself is true, and even though I thought I had Salazar ready to tell the truth when we got town, he changed his mind when he heard the crowd. He told the sheriff that an unknown assailant killed Jud, and that I might be a part of the conspiracy against him. And he's telling everyone in town that, and they're believing him."

"Why?" Audra cried. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"No, it does," Heath said. He eyed his older brother. "A legend died out there today. He believed there was a conspiracy to kill him, so everyone else believes it, too."

"People don't want to be told their gods aren't telling them the truth," Nick said. "Did anybody threaten you, Jarrod?"

"Some joker tried to grab me, but otherwise not overtly, but the threat is there," Jarrod said. "That's why Steve brought me home. If he hadn't, there was a good chance I wouldn't have made it."

"My God," Victoria breathed.

Jarrod said, "There'll be an inquest, probably sometime tomorrow. Steve will let me know, probably send somebody to make sure I get there alive."

"Oh, no, we're going with you," Nick said. "If you need an escort, it's gonna be us."

"And we will go, too," Victoria said.

"No," Jarrod said quickly. "Mother, it's too dangerous for you and Audra to be with me anytime soon. I don't even like Nick and Heath going along – "

"But you know you won't stop us," Heath said.

Jarrod smiled a little. "Let's say I know better than to try. But Mother, Audra, not you. I want you to stay clear of town completely until this settles down."

Victoria got up and came to her oldest son's arms. "Jarrod, I'm so sorry it came to this. If I had stopped him from going after you – "

"No, Mother, don't blame yourself for anything," Jarrod said, giving her a squeeze. "It was Jud who couldn't face the truth. He was very sick. I grieve for him over that, but now we just have to play out the hand we've been dealt. And unfortunately, that means trying to disprove a lie that everyone else wants desperately to believe is true."

"Fools," Nick muttered.

XXXXXXX

The message came the next morning that the inquest would begin at two o'clock that afternoon and the sheriff would send a deputy for Jarrod. Jarrod spent the day in the library, staring out the window or staring at his hands. He did not drink any liquor, although he wanted to. He had never shown up for a court appearance with hard liquor on his breath and he wasn't about to now. He had lunch with his family, and afterward, when the deputy arrived, he left for town, his brothers riding with him.

Nick and Heath weren't quite ready for what they saw. They had expected some kind of crowd, but not one the size of the one that met them. At least everyone was quiet, behaved. No one gave them any grief as they went into the courthouse, and Salazar was not out there whipping anything up. They hitched their horses in front of the courthouse and went inside. The deputy left after he delivered them to the room where the inquest would be held.

 _At least it's not Phil Archer_ , Jarrod thought to himself when he saw that the DA was handling the inquest himself. Salazar was already in the room. Jarrod eyed him, hoping to instill in him the need to speak the truth. This was under oath, not just a rally in front of a crowd. Jarrod hoped Salazar understood that.

Dr. Merar testified about Robson's bullet wound, in the back, that killed him instantly. The DA asked him if he had removed the bullet and still had it. "Yes, I still have it, but it is damaged. It hit the backbone, part of it splintered off and the rest is quite crushed."

"Is it possible to determine if it came from a specific weapon?" the DA asked.

"No, I'm afraid it isn't," Dr. Merar said.

Jarrod listened then as Salazar took the stand, and his faith in humankind took a hit. Salazar repeated the same lie he had come up with the day before. Heath had to grab Nick by the arm once or twice to keep him from protesting out loud when Salazar said Robson had feared Jarrod was part of the conspiracy against him. Jarrod had to take a deep breath and calm himself when it came time for him to testify.

And then he said, "I'm sorry to say that Mr. Salazar is not telling the truth. Mr. Salazar is trying to protect the reputation of the victim, Senator Jud Robson, as perhaps he's always done. But the truth is that the Senator intercepted me as I was on my way here yesterday morning. He did accuse me of being part of a conspiracy against him, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jud Robson had been my friend for many years, but he was not the same man I knew even a year ago. He had begun to see enemies where there weren't any. He had begun to see guns in his face where there weren't any. I was not armed yesterday morning, but he pulled his gun on me anyway and threatened to kill me because he'd come to believe I was part of that conspiracy against him. But I wasn't. There was no conspiracy. It was only in Jud Robson's mind. No hidden assailant shot Senator Robson. Mr. Salazar did, to keep him from killing me. Mr. Salazar has lied to you today, not because his killing Senator Robson was some kind of criminal act. It wasn't. Mr. Salazar saved my life. It's just that he is now lying to protect a man who is dead, who doesn't need protecting."

There weren't many questions for Jarrod, or for Salazar for that matter. But the decision of the inquest jury was slow to come, and when it did, it was distinctly unsatisfying. Death was caused by a person or persons unknown. Jarrod could only hang his head. The inquest jury did not believe him. Despite the fact that he had known every man there for years, they did not believe him. He had no idea if they believed he was part of a conspiracy to kill Robson – that wasn't part of their job to decide - but that seemed almost secondary anyway. It was the mistrust of men he had known much of this life that stung.

Nick and Heath were worried about something far more dangerous – the mob out in the street. Without a finding that Salazar had killed Robson, the people out there would believe that Jarrod was part of a conspiracy to kill him. Even as they stood up, they could hear the crowd outside getting louder. Someone had told them what the decision was. Nick and Heath could only look at each other and fret. Could they even get their brother out of here alive?

The sheriff was there in the back of the room. "I'll go out with you boys and ride home with you," he said.

The Barkley men gathered themselves together. Jarrod had considered stopping by his office, but he knew now he had to get out of town and stay out for a while. If there was anyone in that street who believed in him, they weren't being vocal about it. But of course they weren't. Jarrod knew anyone who supported him could be in danger, too. A mob whipped up by lies was extremely dangerous.

Jarrod looked at his brothers and half considered suggesting they go home ahead of him. They had a better chance of getting out safely that way, but he knew they'd never go for it. So they went outside together, with only the Sheriff walking with them.

And the mob swore at them and cursed Jarrod. But no fighting broke out, not even any pushing or shoving. The crowd parted and let them through, and in a few minutes they were riding home with the sheriff as escort.

But what about tomorrow, Jarrod wondered, and the days after that? Would he or even his family ever be safe in Stockton again? And what could he do about it? He knew his brothers were wondering the same things, and they were all silent all the way home, wondering.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jarrod was sullen and virtually silent for the next two days. On the third day, he decided to go out onto the range with his brothers, to help move one of the herds to the winter range. Luckily, none of the Barkley men seemed to believe that Jarrod was part of any conspiracy to kill Robson. They knew the Barkleys too well, and if they were inclined to believe Salazar's side of the story, they kept quiet about it. A day of hard work helped Jarrod clear his head and his soul.

About a week after the inquest decision was rendered, the sheriff came out to the ranch and surprised Jarrod completely. He said that Salazar had never left town. He was still around, still spinning his story about a hidden assailant and a secret conspiracy. "Why?" Jarrod found himself asking. "What can he possibly gain by doing that?"

"He's looking to get appointed to Senator Robson's seat in the Senate," the sheriff told him.

"What?" Jarrod said. "Even if that's true, why is he doing it here? He should be in Sacramento."

"Oh, he's gone there, too," the sheriff said. "The word on the street is that Sacramento isn't going to appoint anyone who doesn't have the support of the voters here in the valley, since this is where Senator Robson came from. So Salazar is here trying to drum up support."

"Unbelievable," Jarrod said and wandered to the mantle in the library. He kept thinking and thinking and asked, "Is anybody else after the job?"

"Nobody I've heard of," the sheriff said. "But one or two people have suggested you."

Now Jarrod was flabbergasted. "Oh, no, not me. That would get me lynched so fast you wouldn't have time to come to my rescue."

"Well, I'm afraid that's another lie you're going to have to deal with," the sheriff said. "The mere suggestion of you taking the job is making a lot of men believe you want it. And you had Robson killed to get it."

"My God, I don't believe this," Jarrod said, utterly confused. "I've known these people all my life! I grew up here! How can they possibly believe I'd have a Senator killed so I could get his job?"

"I don't understand it either, Jarrod, and if it helps there are people becoming more vocal in your support. It's just that they're still getting drowned out by the people who want to believe the worst of you."

Jarrod eyed the sheriff. "I hope you're never one of those people."

"Not me. I know who you are, and I know the last thing you'd ever want to be is a U.S. Senator, which makes the whole yarn even more preposterous."

"But some people will believe what they want to believe, no matter how thick it's being laid on," Jarrod said, and he shook his head. "People I've known all my life. That's the worst of it – thinking I had their trust and their friendship and it turns out I've had neither."

"I'd tell you not to let it get to you, but I know it's punching a big hole in you, and in your legal business," the sheriff said.

Jarrod nodded. "I can't go into the office with all of this going on. Even my regular faithful clients will have to leave me."

"Maybe you ought to go to San Francisco for a while."

Jarrod shook his head. "No, not just yet. I have to be here to see how this is going to play out. Things like this can turn around fast, when you least expect them to. If this turns back in my favor, I need to be here to nail it down."

"If it can ever be nailed down for good," the sheriff said. "I need to get back. Just one more thing. If this keeps up, if people keep buying what Salazar is selling, at some point they're going to start yelling for me to arrest you on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. You know that."

Jarrod knew it. He nodded. "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. But I swear to you, Steve – I was never any part of any conspiracy. There was never any conspiracy to be part of. It was all in Robson's sick mind."

"I believe you, Jarrod. And I have no trouble telling people that. I just hope it makes a difference."

XXXXXXX

"So, what are you gonna do?" Nick asked when, before dinner, Jarrod told the family everything the Sheriff had said.

"Nothing at the moment," Jarrod said.

"You can't just let Salazar keep bad mouthing you!" Nick said. "Steve out and out said it could get you arrested for conspiracy to commit murder!"

"I know that's a concern, but I don't think it's a realistic one, at least not yet," Jarrod said.

"You know, Jarrod, Nick and I can't avoid town much longer," Heath said. "We've got banking to do and supplies to round up."

"I know," Jarrod said, "and I won't ask you not to go, but I will ask you to stay out of trouble, and I mean that. If you lose your tempers because somebody is bad mouthing me, it will just make everything worse."

"Maybe Audra and I should try paving the way first," Victoria said.

All of her sons looked at her like she was crazy. "No, Mother, I'm not going to risk you getting hurt," Jarrod said.

"I really don't think the people of Stockton are going to take their anger out on your mother and your sister," Victoria said. "It seems to me there may still be some uncertainty in their minds, enough to let them see me and Audra and calm down, even against you."

Heath shook his head, too. "It's too risky, Mother. What's likely to happen is a crowd will form around you and somebody will get hurt by accident."

"Well, we have to do something," Audra said. "Jarrod will lose his law practice if something isn't done, even if he doesn't lose anything worse."

Jarrod had been standing by the mantle with his arms crossed. He was not drinking any liquor today, and he pretty much decided to give it up for a while, just in case. Staring at the floor, he said, "I wonder what would happen if I put an ad in the paper, setting out my side of the story."

"He'd respond by repeating all his lies," Nick said.

"Yes, but at least I'd have my truth out there for everybody to read," Jarrod said. "How can that make anything worse?"

"It could stir people up even more," Victoria said. "If they want to believe Salazar, it will make them feel attacked."

"I am attacking them," Jarrod said. "I'm attacking their gullibility. I'm attacking their lack of good sense. And I'll be appealing to their morality and their history with me and with this family. It's bound to make some people think."

"I think you put too much faith in people who are showing they don't deserve it," Nick said.

"Maybe," Jarrod said, "but if I let this thing continue to snowball without responding to it in any way, only the lie will be out there, and it will get too entrenched to respond to."

"You must be very careful with what you say, Jarrod," Victoria said.

Jarrod looked at her and nodded. "I know. My life may depend on it."

Even Nick finally nodded. Heath said, "You write it up, Jarrod. Nick and I will deliver it, and probably make Mr. Tuttle at the Eagle a very happy man."

Jarrod finally smiled. "He'll have extra editions to sell for a while, won't he?"

"Maybe you can get him to write an editorial in your favor," Audra suggested.

Jarrod said, "We'll see. He might not want to take sides, especially if he's selling plenty of papers because of the back and forth between me and Salazar."

"It's a dangerous plan, Jarrod," Victoria said.

"But doing nothing may be more dangerous, Mother," Jarrod said.

XXXXXXXX

Later that night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Jarrod sat himself down in the study with pen and paper. He did a lot of thinking before he even started to put words down. What he said here, how he phrased it, was probably going to be the most important and the most dangerous brief he ever wrote. He knew his future was at stake – and the future of his family, too. Everything would change if the sentiment in town against the Barkleys were allowed to grow. More friends would be lost, more trust would be lost, and business could be lost, too. The stakes would be even higher if it turned out he was eventually arrested in Jud Robson's murder.

But he couldn't let his concern – yes, his fear – about what might happen because of what he wrote down here affect his resolve to do it. He had to fight back somehow, and the way he always fought best was with words. That was his talent and his gift, and he never needed to use it more than he needed to now. After about half an hour of planning, Jarrod took a deep breath and began to write.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _My friends in Stockton –_

 _You have known me almost all of my life. I have been your counselor, your neighbor, and your friend. Now I find I must tell you a difficult truth that you may not want to hear, but rumors have been circulating that are false. I trust you will hear me out and use your good judgment in evaluating what you hear and read._

 _Several days ago, Senator Jud Robson was killed in my presence, on land owned by my family. I told the truth to the inquest jury on his killing. Senator Robson was shot to death by his aide, Mr. Salazar. This was not a crime on Mr. Salazar's part. He killed the Senator to prevent him from killing me._

 _The Senator was a guest of my family. We have been friends for many years and were happy to host him again. This time, however, I saw changes in the Senator's behavior, changes that came to a head when he shot and killed a man he believed was armed and about to kill him. An inquest in that death was pending when the Senator was killed. I was traveling from my home to town to see the district attorney about this inquest. I was not armed. Senator Robson intercepted me and accused me of being a part of a conspiracy to kill him._

 _There was and is no such conspiracy. The changes I saw in Senator Robson were such that they made him believe that conspiracies against him existed, when none did. After he shot the Senator, Mr. Salazar told me that he had been watching Senator Robson disintegrate mentally for some time, but he wanted to preserve the Senator's reputation and legend, so he intended to tell the public that the Senator had been killed by one of his enemies._

 _This was false. I believed I had convinced Mr. Salazar to tell the truth about the Senator's death, but he changed his mind when we arrived in Stockton. He has been telling a lie to keep the Senator's legend intact. The truth is the Senator had been failing mentally for some time, and he would have killed me but for Mr. Salazar's intervention. Mr. Salazar saved my life. He bears no fault for having killed Senator Robson._

 _He does bear the fault of lying to you since then. He lied to the inquest jury and he has been lying all along. No hidden enemy killed Senator Robson. Mr. Salazar killed him._

 _You have known me as one of you for almost all of my 33 years. Senator Robson had known me as a friend for most of my adult life. I considered him a friend until the moment he died, and I grieve for him. I have not been and am not now a part of any conspiracy against him. There is no such conspiracy._

 _I have no interest in being considered to complete the Senator's term of office, nor do I have plans to run for that office at any time in the future. I trust you will all take my life as one of you, as well as my words, into consideration when you make up your mind about this entire terrible incident. Remember Senator Robson for the man he was, not the man he became. Remember me for the man you've known me to be._

 _Your friend, Jarrod Barkley_

"Kinda long, isn't it?" Nick asked when he read it.

Jarrod stood by the desk in the library, his arms folded in front of him. "It could have been a lot longer."

"You didn't say anything about Salazar being after the Senator's position," Heath said.

"I didn't think I needed to," Jarrod said. "People already know that. It's more important they remember that I'm not after it."

"Salazar will probably say you gave up on the idea when you got caught lying at the inquest," Nick said.

"Probably," Jarrod said. "I know I'm not going to convince the people who don't want to be convinced. Salazar will just lie to them and they will lie to themselves. But some people will believe me. I hope a lot of them will."

"Have you shown it to Mother and Audra?" Heath asked.

"Not yet," Jarrod said.

Nick and Heath looked at each other, not really sure what to say now. They weren't really sold on this idea of an ad in the paper, but on the other hand neither one of them had a better idea about what to do. They just knew it couldn't go on the way it had been going.

Victoria and Audra felt the same way when they read the letter. "I think it's good, but I don't know if it's going to help," Victoria said, and she looked both sad and disgusted.

Jarrod took the letter from her and handed it off to Heath. "I'm sure we'll have to find other ways to fight Salazar and his lies, but we have to start somewhere," Jarrod said. "Heath, Nick, would you take this to the newspaper office?"

Heath folded it and put it into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. "I hope it helps, Jarrod."

"You two should be very careful in town," Victoria said.

"We will," Nick said, "but I don't think anybody's about to start anything with us."

"Maybe some words," Heath said, "but I'll make sure Nick keeps his temper."

"I'll make sure I keep it," Nick said.

They turned and headed out the front door, Jarrod with them, saying, "If you see Steve, ask him if he has any new read on how the crowd is sizing up. And if you see Salazar, don't even talk to him, all right? Don't let him goad you into anything."

"Don't worry," Nick said. "Salazar won't throw any punches, and I won't start anything."

Jarrod remained on the porch as Nick and Heath stepped down into the yard. "Turn the other cheek this time, Nick," Jarrod said after them.

Nick nodded as he and Heath headed for the stable.

Jarrod sighed, wishing he were tackling this alone. Not that he didn't appreciate the support. He just worried that his family would end up taking a hit he should be defending them from. But he knew things were far too hot in Stockton for him to go there and take it on at all just yet. Going there would just stir Salazar up even more. He was, after all, a politician, and that's what politicians do, inflame the voters because that's how you get them to vote for you.

Jarrod hoped that at some point he might be able to go back into town and fight Salazar with the truth, but there had to be an opening before he could do that. He hoped the letter would give him that opening, even if it were just a small one. But he was also making contingency plans in the back of his mind. He had no doubt that he would fight this thing as long as he had to, but he was a realist. There was a chance this could go against him in the end, in any number of directions, and he couldn't make plans for the ones he hadn't thought of yet.

The best thing he could do was to stay flexible, to get a read on what was happening in town, to take that opening when it appeared no matter how slight it was. And if no opening appeared, he'd have to martial whatever support he could find and use it to the best of his ability.

He stayed to watch Nick and Heath ride out in the buckboard and when they gave him a wave, he waved back. And he hoped their visit to town would not go bad because of him.

XXXXXXX

Nick and Heath immediately began to get looks when they rode into town. There were a lot of people out and about. Practically everyone looked their way. Some looked angry, some gave them a smile, most just looked and then looked away.

As they pulled up in front of the mercantile, Heath, who was driving, said, "Well, we haven't been beaten up yet."

He and Nick climbed down and went into the shop. They were pleased when the owner, Mr. Shipman, gave them a smile. "Morning, boys," he said. "What can I get for you?"

Nick handed him a list. "Got quite a lot for you today, Don. Can you have it loaded up for us out in the wagon?"

Shipman looked at the list. "Sure thing. Have you ready to go in less than half an hour. Are you – uh – gonna be in town long?"

They understood his implication. "No," Nick said. "Got to go to the bank and the newspaper office, maybe see the sheriff too. We'll be right around here."

"All right," Shipman said.

As Nick and Heath walked out, Nick said, "Well, looks like we're still okay at the mercantile. Let's see about the bank."

Their reception at the bank was mixed. The manager, Mr. Baker, was friendly and accommodating, but they got some cold stares from some of the rest of the workers there. They completed their business quickly and headed for the newspaper office.

They noticed they got quite a few stares from the people in the street when they went into the Eagle office. Mr. Tuttle, on the other hand, looked up from his press with a big smile for them. "Hello, gentlemen," he said. "What can I do for the Barkleys today?"

Heath took Jarrod's letter out of his pocket and handed it over. "Print this on the front page of today's edition if you can make it," he said.

Tuttle took the letter and read it over. And smiled. "Well, I was wondering what Jarrod was gonna do about all the hubbub around here. I'll get it in today."

Nick reached into his pocket for money. "How much?"

"Uh, you best not pay me for this," Tuttle said. "I don't want people deciding the Barkleys are trying to buy me off and I'm letting them. Besides, this is news. I'll sell a lot of papers. I'll just treat this like a letter to the editor."

"Just out of curiosity," Heath said, "do you believe what Salazar's saying?"

"Me? I know better than to believe what a politician is selling unless he's really got something to back it up. If Salazar comes up with something, maybe, but so far all he's got is that inquest jury's decision and frankly, there were a few men on that jury who were happy to stick it to the Barkleys for their own reasons. You know how some people like to bring the mighty down. It's not like this hasn't happened to you before."

"Just keep being honest with the news, Mr. Tuttle," Heath said. "That's all we're asking."

Tuttle nodded. "That's what I try to do – keep us all honest."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After leaving the newspaper office, Nick and Heath went to the sheriff's office and found the sheriff in there at his desk. They were hoping for a smile. They didn't get one.

"Sit down," the sheriff said.

"I think I'd rather stand up," Heath said.

Nick stayed standing too. "What's going on, Steve?" he asked.

The sheriff sighed a big sigh. "The mayor was in here a few minutes ago. He doesn't like all this business about Senator Robson's shooting. He wants me to work with the DA's office and do a complete investigation."

"Well, maybe that'll help," Heath said. "You'll find out Jarrod's been telling the truth and that Salazar shot Robson."

"I wish it was that simple," the sheriff said. "They mayor said someone came to him and said they were in the vicinity when Robson was shot, and Salazar didn't shoot him."

"What?!" Nick blurted.

"The mayor wouldn't tell me who it was, but this other so-called witness said he saw somebody else under cover way behind Salazar do the shooting. Says Salazar probably doesn't even know the shooter was there."

"Let me finish the thought. Jarrod did know the shooter was there."

"So far, no, he isn't saying that. The mayor wants me and the DA to question this new witness, and then Salazar and Jarrod again."

"Did this new witness say who the shooter was?" Nick asked.

The sheriff shook his head. "I don't know yet."

"Does this new witness have any connection to Jarrod or anybody at the ranch?" Heath asked.

"I don't know," the sheriff said. "And I don't know if he has any connection to Salazar or Senator Robson. I don't know who it is yet. But I'm gonna head over to the DA's office in a couple minutes. They mayor says he's expecting me."

"Steve, we had a so-called witness crawl out of the shadows when Robson shot that fella last week, and it turned out he was no witness at all, just a yahoo trying to get some attention," Heath reminded the sheriff.

"I know, and I'm wise to that sort of thing happening. We're gonna be pretty darned careful with this one. I won't let any phony witness get much of a foothold, I promise you."

"Steve, we just took a letter from Jarrod over to the newspaper office," Nick said. "He's gonna tell his side of the story in the paper. You're gonna find he's saying exactly what he's always said about this, and if you question him again, he'll say the same thing."

"I don't doubt that, Nick," the sheriff said. "None of this is my idea, and I hope you know that personally, I'll take Jarrod's word over anybody else's in town, but I have to talk to this new witness and see if it leads anywhere. I don't have any choice."

"I want to know who this new witness is," Nick said.

"And I'll tell you as soon as I can," the sheriff said. "But once this news hits the street, you know it's gonna stir up the people who want to be stirred up even more. And if Salazar can make any use of it, he will."

Nick seethed. Heath took him by the arm. "Come on, Nick. I think we best get our supplies and get on home before the fat hits the fire. We'll figure out what to do when we know more."

"I'll be coming out to talk to Jarrod," the sheriff said. "I'll tell him what I can then. For now, just keep him out of town, all right? And maybe you two and your mother and sister ought to stay at the ranch, too. If you need anything, send somebody else."

Heath nodded and tugged at Nick's arm. "Come on, Nick. Let's get on home."

XXXXXXXX

"That's not possible," Jarrod said flatly when Nick and Heath told him about the new witness. "I know what I saw, and I saw Salazar kill Robson. Salazar knew he killed Robson. There was no other witness around and no other shooter."

"We told Steve you'd say that," Heath said, "but he has the mayor breathing down his neck and he has to investigate the claim."

"When did Steve say he'd be out here?" Victoria asked.

"He didn't, but I got the feeling it would be this afternoon sometime."

"Steve doesn't want this, Mother," Nick said. "He said he's aware this witness might be a phony. He'll get rid of it as fast as he can."

"That depends on who this new witness is," Jarrod said. "Depending on what he says and whether he has any credibility at all, we might be back into another inquest."

Victoria moaned at that, but she said, "Let's wait and see who we're up against. Steve should be able to tell us when he gets here."

Jarrod wandered to the mantle, shaking his head. "There was no other shooter. Salazar certainly acted as if he were the shooter, at least on the spot he acted that way." Jarrod bit his lip against the swearing he wanted to let loose.

"You're absolutely sure of that?" Heath asked.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure!" Jarrod said. "Are you gonna start doubting me now too?"

"I'm not doubting you, Jarrod," Heath said. "I'm just wondering if in the heat of the moment you couldn't missed seeing somebody."

"I didn't miss seeing anyone," Jarrod said. "There was no one to see. I heard one shot, and it came from Salazar's rifle. There was no one else anywhere around."

"I wish I knew how we could get Salazar to tell the truth," Victoria said.

Jarrod said, "We can't. He's sunk too much into this fairy tale he's spinning. Going back on it now would cost him getting Jud's seat and send him to jail for perjury."

Nick said, "We need to get back out to work, unless you think you need us here."

Jarrod shook his head. "No, I don't need you here. Steve will want to talk to me alone anyway."

XXXXX

Jarrod was right about that. As soon as the sheriff arrived, he asked to talk to Jarrod privately. Jarrod took him into the library, and Jarrod sat in an armchair there while the sheriff sat down on the sofa.

"I'm really sorry to drag this all out, Jarrod," the sheriff said, "but here's the way it is. Ben Jones is the witness who says he saw someone else shoot Senator Robson."

"Ben Jones," Jarrod said, thinking. He didn't know the man well, but he'd heard the name. "Doesn't he work at the pharmacy in town? What the heck would he have been doing out on our property at that hour of the morning?"

"A very good question that Jones didn't have a very good answer for," the sheriff said. "And he couldn't identify the shooter he says he saw, so neither the DA nor I put much faith in his account of what happened."

"What did Salazar have to say about it?"

"He didn't change his story at all."

"He didn't suddenly decide he saw Jones or another shooter?"

"No, he's not that big a fool. If he changes his story like that, he loses a lot of credibility."

"So you would think," Jarrod said, "but many a political career has been built on lies built on top of other lies, not to mention stories suddenly changing."

"You're absolutely sure it was only you and Robson and Salazar out there?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Not a doubt in my mind. But you didn't come all the way out here for that, did you?"

The sheriff sighed. "No, I didn't. With you and Salazar both saying there wasn't anybody else around, the DA is walking away from Jones and his statement, but Jones isn't walking away from it. He's still telling people he was there and saw another shooter."

"I can't see anybody believing it if Salazar isn't buying into it," Jarrod said.

"Jarrod, we've got a bunch of het up people in town who are willing to believe everything and nothing. That's the problem. With all the lies flying around, people are getting afraid of their own shadows."

"Is Salazar making stumping speeches in town?"

"No, not formal ones, anyway. Little ones in the street here and there, but so far nothing big. I think he knows if he stirs up something that gets out of hand, I'm gonna run him out of town for the safety of the community, and he's gonna have to eat it."

"Did my letter make the paper today?" Jarrod asked.

"It wasn't out yet when I left town," the sheriff said.

"Well, maybe my letter will give some of the more sensible people something to work with when talking to their neighbors, but frankly, Steve, I don't know what else I can do to convince people of the truth. All I can say about anything is what I've already said."

The sheriff rubbed his forehead. "I'm afraid the mayor might want to call a town meeting on this, and he'll want you there."

"Then I'll be there."

"Jarrod, I can't ensure your safety if you come back into town."

"Steve, I'd never ask you to. I know you're in a bind with all of this stupidity running around, and I know what really worries you is what worries me – that some innocent person will get hurt if things get out of hand."

The sheriff nodded. "You read me exactly right."

"Neither one of us can ensure that doesn't happen. We can only do the best we can with what we're handed. You can try to talk the mayor out of a town meeting, but if it doesn't work, then I'll have to come, and I will continue to tell the truth, just as I've been doing."

The sheriff stood up, so Jarrod stood, too. "I just thank the good Lord I can trust somebody to do that, Jarrod. I'll stop out here tomorrow, let you know what the mayor is asking for, and let you know how your letter is going over."

Jarrod offered his hand. "Thanks, Steve. Thanks for everything. I know I can trust you with the truth, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Eagle's latest edition came out late in the day, and once it started circulating it didn't take long for people to begin to congregate. In small groups at first, then the groups began to congregate in bigger groups. The sheriff watched it all happen and immediately signed on two deputies in addition to his regular man. When a group started to look too big, he had a deputy break it up, and as darkness settled in, the strategy was working. Nothing was getting out of hand.

But Salazar was nowhere to be seen. That surprised the sheriff a lot. He at least thought the man would be in the street, eavesdropping and putting his two cents worth in wherever he could, but the sheriff never did spot him, until night had fallen and he checked in at Harry's saloon. His deputies were checking in at the others in town, just to make sure things were quiet. The sheriff himself had the luck of finding Salazar in Harry's bar, two steps up on the stairway, making a speech.

"I have told you over and over that I did not shoot Senator Robson!" Salazar was saying. "Why would I? I worked for the man! I loved the man as much as you did!"

"Jarrod Barkley says you did shoot him, to save his life," someone said.

Grumbling went around.

"Barkley is lying!" Salazar said.

"Why would he?" someone else asked.

"Because he was part of the Senator's murder!"

More grumbling.

"There was and is a conspiracy to kill Senator Robson, and the Senator found out Barkley was part of it, for his own political gains!" Salazar said.

The grumbling got louder. Someone said, "You got no proof of that!"

"Of course not!" Salazar said. "These men are good at what they do, and what they do is conspire to make the powerful even more powerful! Are you gonna tell me you want the Barkleys to have even more power in Stockton?!"

The sheriff dove in as the grumbling got louder. "All right, all right, break this up right now! I want this room cleared! Everybody out of here, now!"

Men stumbled out the door, and Harry looked a lot more relaxed. His girls came out from the back room where they had gone into hiding. As Salazar started to move toward the door, the sheriff grabbed his arm.

"If you go out there and start with any more rebel-rousing, I'm putting you in jail for incitement," the sheriff said.

Salazar smiled a little. "Do that, and you really will have a riot on your hands."

"But the blood will be on _your_ hands, Salazar. I know you're having a good time being the center of attention after walking around in Robson's shadow all these years, but if anything breaks out, if anybody is hurt, you're the one I'll be prosecuting. If anybody dies, you're the one I'll have for murder. Now you be smart and go back to your hotel, unless you want to spend the night in mine."

"I'm not the one riling these people up," Salazar said. "Barkley's letter in the paper started all this tonight. Isn't he the one you ought to be locking up?"

"I'll arrest whoever is inciting these men who have had too much liquor, and right now that's you. Get back to your hotel and stay there, because if I see your face in the street again tonight, I'll take you in."

The sheriff followed Salazar out the door and practically herded him back to the hotel. Men in the street accused him of taking Salazar to jail. The sheriff kept telling people he wasn't locking anybody up but was just making sure Salazar made it to his hotel safely. Salazar kept his mouth shut, but he wore a smile all the way to the hotel.

In a few moments, he was alone in his room, looking down in the street at men still milling around and the sheriff and his deputies trying to break them up. Pushing started, and then fists flew. The sheriff and his men were grabbing people right and left and pulling them out of the fray. Several men were so drunk they did not get up once they were pulled aside. Yelling and shoving finally died down for lack of participants, and the sheriff and his deputies began dragging the men passed out off to the jail.

Salazar was already planning his "calm down" speech for the next day. He'd seen enough political speeches to know you could keep a crowd calm and then work them up, and then calm them down again and then work them up again, over and over so much they would swear they were being calm even as they beat people up. Not that Salazar wanted these people killing each other. He just wanted to keep them mad at each other, afraid of each other, so that he could milk the sentiment for the support he needed. But he would have to be careful about it. One step too far and the sheriff might lock him up, but then again, was that so bad? He could get the people here good and mad through the cell window if he were locked up, couldn't he?

The crowd outside was hardly a crowd anymore. It was getting late, men were getting too inebriated to talk and the ones not arrested were beginning to stumble home. Salazar was satisfied. He could get a good night's sleep and be ready for tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXX

When Silas answered the front door the next morning, he was surprised to see the mayor of Stockton standing there, along with a young man who was his secretary. "We'd like to see Mr. Jarrod Barkley," the secretary said.

"Please come in," Silas said and opened the door wide for them.

Jarrod had been working at the desk in the parlor and heard them arrive. He met them in the foyer and offered his hand to the mayor. "Mr. Mayor," Jarrod said. "I'm rather surprised to see you here so early in the morning. Hello, Mr. Simms," he said and shook the secretary's hand.

"Jarrod," the mayor said, "I'd like to have a word with you."

"Of course, let's go into the library," Jarrod said. "May I offer you some coffee?"

"No, thank you," the mayor said.

Jarrod thanked Silas and led the two visitors off to the library. Silas immediately went to the kitchen, where Victoria and Audra were preparing to spend the morning making pies. "Mrs. Barkley, the mayor is here," Silas said, half excited and half worried.

"The mayor?" Audra said.

"Mr. Jarrod took him into the library," Silas said.

Victoria thought about it for a moment. "Do they want coffee?"

"No, ma'am," Silas said.

"Then I think we best leave them alone for a few minutes," Victoria said. "Silas, go back into the living room and listen for them to come out of the library. I don't want them to leave without saying hello to them."

"Yes, ma'am," Silas said and hurried back out to the living room.

"What do you think the mayor wants?" Audra asked, apprehensive.

"I don't know," Victoria said, "except that I'm sure it has to do with Mr. Salazar."

"Oh, Mother, this just seems to be getting more and more out of hand."

Victoria sighed. "Maybe that's what our friend the mayor is here to work on – getting things back under control. At least, I hope that's why he's here."

In the library, Jarrod offered his visitors the sofa and sat down in one of the armchairs, asking, "What can I do for you gentlemen today?"

"I'm here about the letter you put in the newspaper, Jarrod," the mayor said. "There was a near riot in town last night. People are getting angrier and angrier over the murder of Senator Robson."

"It wasn't murder," Jarrod said. "As I've told everyone over and over again, Mr. Salazar killed Senator Robson because the Senator was about to kill me."

"That's not the way Salazar is telling it."

"And he's lying, to preserve the Senator's legend and to forward his own political career."

"Jarrod, Salazar continues to insist that an unknown assassin killed the Senator and while he hasn't out and out accused you of hiring that assassin, he's saying you were involved."

Jarrod had to fight to keep his temper. "And that would be yet another lie. He has no evidence of me being involved in such a conspiracy to kill the Senator, because there is none."

"You and I both know he doesn't need any evidence to stir up a crowd."

"Well, Mr. Mayor, what do you propose I do? Slug it out with Salazar in the street myself? Or perhaps I should go along with his lie? Shall I have myself arrested and hanged for a murder that never happened, just to keep Mr. Salazar under control?"

"No, of course not," the mayor said.

"Then what?"

The mayor sighed. "Until last night, I was thinking a town meeting might be in order with both you and Mr. Salazar present, but now I'm not so sure. It could become violent and someone might get seriously hurt."

"Then what do you suggest? I and my family stay prisoners out here until Mr. Salazar gets his appointment to the Senator's unfilled term and goes back to Washington? Then of course, we'd be pariahs in Stockton for a good long time. Is that what you want from the Barkleys?"

The mayor sighed again. "You've been good friends to me for a very long time, and you've been valuable friends to Stockton, both economically and personally."

"Our friendship with Stockton seems to be running one way," Jarrod said. He was getting angrier and angrier.

The mayor look flummoxed, so his secretary said, "We suggest you recommend publicly that Mr. Salazar be appointed to the Senator's unfilled term."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"That's absurd," Jarrod said. "If I recommend him for Robson's uncompleted term, you'd be asking me to say he's a trustworthy and honest man when he is not."

"Then don't oppose him," the mayor said. "Just keep quiet and let this thing run its course."

Jarrod finally couldn't sit still anymore. "I and my family will have to live with the consequences for a long time if I don't speak out and let Salazar have his lies. Mr. Mayor, I think what you ought to be doing is escorting Mr. Salazar to the next train back to Washington. He's had his say. All he's doing now, but your own admission, is stirring up trouble. Get him out of town."

"If I do that, it's political suicide, Jarrod," the mayor said. "I'd never win another election."

Jarrod couldn't help a wry smile now. "Listen to yourself. There's nothing in this that's about truth and lies. All this is about is political power, getting it and holding it and it just doesn't matter how."

"It's about reality, Mr. Barkley," Simms said. "Politics is reality."

"Politics is garbage and I'll have none of it," Jarrod said. "If you want to risk a town meeting, that's your decision. You do and I will attend and maybe it will even help the situation, but you'd better have plenty of deputies keeping the peace because you've let Salazar work up a lot of angry people without challenging his lies, and now it's apparently too late to get the horse back in the barn. _That's_ your reality, gentlemen. Not politics, not power, but people in the street fighting because of lies."

Jarrod stood staring down at them, and they got the message. Both the mayor and his secretary stood up. "All right, Jarrod," the mayor said. "We'll consider what you've said, and we'll decide where to go from here. If we do decide to hold a town meeting – "

"I'll come but you better have plenty of protection for every person there," Jarrod said.

In the living room, Silas heard the library doors open and ran for Victoria and Audra in the kitchen. The men reached the foyer just as the women did, and Victoria gave the mayor a big smile. "David, it's good to see you," she said, offering her hand.

The mayor took her hand, saying, "I wish the circumstances were better, Victoria. The truth is Stockton has a problem we can't seem to find a solution for."

Victoria kept her smile. "I'm sure you'll think of the proper solution, David. Remember the wisest words ever spoken – 'this too shall pass.'"

The mayor looked doubtful. He and his secretary left.

Victoria lost her smile when they were gone. She looked at Jarrod. "Nothing helpful came out of your meeting."

Jarrod shook his head. "It looks like we'll be heading for some kind of town meeting on the subject of Jud's death and everything that's happened since."

"That could be very dangerous," Audra said.

"I know," Jarrod said, "but at this point, thanks to Mr. Salazar and his ambition and his lies, it looks unavoidable."

"Perhaps you should try talking to him privately again," Victoria said.

Jarrod shook his head. "He'll just spin more lies out of whatever we say to each other."

"What if you had someone listening in?" Audra suggested. "The sheriff or the mayor?"

"The mayor won't do it," Jarrod said. "Too much political risk, and this is all politics now, nothing more. No, anyone who would be willing to listen in would simply be accused of being prejudiced in my favor. No. It's a town meeting or nothing."

"And you don't have much hope for a town meeting," Victoria said.

Jarrod took a deep breath. "I know I can talk up a storm, and maybe I'll win some converts, but I worry about the cost. If the anger overflows and gets out of control, someone could get hurt."

"You could get hurt," Audra said.

Jarrod nodded, but said, "I'm not really worried about me. I'm worried about the innocents in the crowd, and even David is worried about that. He'll have the sheriff and plenty of deputies, but you know that may not be enough."

"Jarrod, what if I talked to Salazar?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod quickly shook his head. "No, Mother. Things are far too explosive right now. If you go into town, you could be intentionally hurt, and I won't have that. Besides, you talking to Salazar wouldn't be any more helpful than me talking to him. The mayor is leaning toward a town meeting. I think we best keep urging him to lean that way, and we keep insisting he have a lot of deputies patrolling any meeting so it doesn't erupt."

Victoria and Audra weren't convinced a town meeting was a good idea, but they didn't have any better ones.

XXXXXXX

It didn't take long for the mayor to make up his mind. Once he was back in Stockton, he contacted Salazar, who approved of a town meeting idea. The mayor had meeting with the sheriff about security for such a town meeting, and by the end of the day, the town meeting notices were going up.

The sheriff went out to the Barkley ranch himself and met with the family during their hour together before dinner. "I'm sorry to intrude," he said, "but the mayor has decided he wants to have a town meeting to try to get the unrest under control. He wants to have it tomorrow afternoon at two, right in the street in front of the courthouse."

"You'd better have a lot of deputies, Steve," Jarrod warned.

"I'm already getting whoever I can get, and I'm getting a lot of interest. People want to see you and Salazar talk this over in front of them."

"And do you really think it will improve anything?" Victoria asked.

The sheriff shrugged. "I really don't know, but the mayor has his mind made up."

"Mother, I think you and Audra better not plan to come to this town meeting," Jarrod said.

"I want to be there to support you, Jarrod," Victoria said.

"I understand," Jarrod said, "but – "

"No 'buts,'" Victoria said. "We've always stood together as a family when there was trouble for any one of us. We'll stand together tomorrow."

"Heath and I will keep close to them, Jarrod," Nick said.

Jarrod's forehead was beginning to clang, but a part of him welcomed the public meeting. He was confident he could talk circles around Salazar, but would the truth win out over the lies, or would too many people still prefer the lies? Would too many people not even care they were being lied to? "All right," he said. "We'll all be there, but if you don't have enough deputies – "

"I'll have enough," the sheriff said.

"We can have even more for you, Steve," Nick said.

The sheriff shook his head. "The crowd won't like Barkley men keeping them under control, and I'm getting enough volunteers from elsewhere. I suggest you gentlemen come unarmed, because I'm planning to disarm everybody who isn't a deputy."

Nick and Heath looked warily at each other. "Good luck with that," Nick said.

"I'll be unarmed," Jarrod said, "and if you want to disarm everybody coming near the courthouse, go ahead. It might work if people see Nick and Heath unarmed."

"We are usually carrying," Heath said. "If we're not carrying, people might be more likely to give their guns up for a spell."

"But we won't be able to protect you, Jarrod, or Mother and Audra," Nick said.

Jarrod said, "You know as well as I do that if somebody starts shooting, pandemonium is gonna break out and you probably won't be able to see who to shoot back at anyway. You can still protect Mother and Audra just by getting them out of there if shooting starts."

Nick heaved a sigh. He had to admit Jarrod made sense, but he didn't like any of this.

"Who's gonna monitor this debate, Sheriff?" Jarrod asked. "The mayor?"

The sheriff nodded. "He's thinking he'll give each of you five minutes and then five minutes more for rebuttal. He'll toss a coin to see who goes first."

"What time will the saloons in town close?" Heath asked.

"Noon," the sheriff said, "and they'll stay closed until one hour after the debate ends. And neither you nor Salazar will be allowed to stay in the street and whip people up after it's over. He goes back to his hotel and you come home."

"How long will Salazar be kept off the streets?" Victoria asked.

"The rest of the day," the sheriff said. "If either he or Jarrod wants to come back out the day after tomorrow, I won't be stopping you. BUT I won't be tolerating any riots or near riots. I won't tolerate either one of you making speeches anymore. I'll get the mayor to call martial law if I have to."

"I won't be whipping anybody up, Steve," Jarrod said. "I won't even be coming back into town for a few days – but there will come a time before long that I have to get back to work."

The sheriff nodded. "Understood."

Then everyone was quiet, looking unhappy but resigned.

"All right then," the sheriff said. "I'll see you tomorrow at two in front of the courthouse."

The sheriff left without a lot of fanfare, and Nick immediately said, "Somebody's gonna get hurt tomorrow."

"I hope you're wrong, Nick," Jarrod said. "We have to do something to get this under control, and if the mayor wants it to be a town meeting, that's what it'll be."

"Foolish politicians," Audra said. She had been quiet all the time the sheriff was there, but now she couldn't be. "I'm glad you're not one of them, Jarrod."

"Just keep telling the truth," Victoria said. "It will sink in sooner or later."

"I'd rather it be sooner, like tomorrow," Jarrod said.

"Wouldn't we all?" Heath said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

At about a quarter to two the next day, the Barkley surrey rolled into town, carrying Jarrod and his mother and sister while Nick and Heath rode in on horseback. It was easy to see that a sizable crowd was gathering, and there were a lot of men looking like guards protecting a perimeter. The Barkleys left their transportation at the livery stable. The man there said, "Big day in Stockton, huh?" to which Jarrod nodded and Victoria merely smiled.

Holding his breath, Jarrod led the way into the area set off for the crowd to watch the town meeting. Victoria and Audra followed while Nick and Heath brought up the rear. Nick and Heath kept looking around, but once they were past the guards and into the throng of people who had given up their weapons, things seemed less threatening. There were even words of encouragement from some people – "Keep tellin' the truth, Jarrod!" "We're pullin' for you, Jarrod!" – but then they heard similar words of support for Salazar, who was coming in not far behind them.

Jarrod directed his family to stand toward off to the side, close to the door to his own office. He gave his mother the key, saying, "If things get rough, you get yourself into my office and we'll join you there as soon as we can."

Nick and Heath nodded that they heard the instructions, and they stuck close to Victoria and Audra. Victoria gave Jarrod a kiss on the cheek and said, "Good luck."

Jarrod made his way to the steps of the courthouse, where Salazar was waiting and the mayor was arriving. The crowd began to quiet down, and when the mayor held his hands up and waved them to get attention, the street became almost silent. "All right!" he yelled in a big booming voice. "We all know why we're here, so let's not waste any time. I'm gonna toss a coin to determine who goes first. Then each man will talk, and then each man will have a rebuttal. There'll be five minutes for each turn, and then we're gonna be done! No question and answer! Then you'll disperse and go about your business! We have deputies everywhere around here, so you yahoos who think you're gonna cause trouble, just change your minds right now! This is gonna be peaceable, or you're gonna be spending the night in jail! Anybody who even looks like they're gonna fire a gun is gonna have that weapon PERMANENTLY taken away from them! Got that?"

Some mumbles, some snickering, some grumbling went around.

"Good!" the mayor yelled. Then he took a coin out, saying, "Heads and Mr. Barkley goes first! Tails and it's Mr. Salazar and before anybody starts complaining, I'm going by alphabetical order, so shut your traps!"

More snickering went around as the mayor tossed the coin. It came up tails.

Jarrod was not unhappy about that. It would give him the last word, and two opportunities to rebut what Salazar would say. But then Salazar threw him a curve. Salazar held up his hands. "You all have been talking with me for the past few days and you already know what I'd be saying, so I am giving up my time and my chance to speak first. Let's hear what Mr. Barkley has to say!"

There were both grumbles and cheers. Jarrod wasn't thrown for long. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd and said, "That's gracious of Mr. Salazar, to give up his first chance to talk to you. I know I haven't been wandering around town replying to what he's had to say when he's been wandering around town, but I put down what I wanted to say in writing, in the Stockton Eagle, and I know many of you have already read it. I won't repeat it word for word. What I will do is open my comments by thanking Mr. Salazar for saving my life, because that is what he did on the morning he was forced to kill Senator Robson."

The grumbling got louder.

Jarrod held his hands up again. "That's the truth! He was forced to kill Senator Robson, and let's just get any notion that what he did was murder or any other kind of unlawful killing out of the way. Mr. Salazar did kill Senator Robson, but he did it to prevent the Senator killing me, and I will be grateful for the rest of my life that he did what he had to do to save me."

The crowd erupted into applause. Jarrod let it go on for quite a while, then, when it looked like the mayor was about to raise his hands to settle the crowd down, Jarrod raised his.

"I'm glad you're all happy I'm still here," Jarrod said and got some more laughs and a little applause. "But what's happened since Mr. Salazar was forced to kill Senator Robson has gone a bit haywire. Because he loved the Senator every bit as much as I and my family did, Mr. Salazar has taken a wrong turn. He denies now that he killed Senator Robson and claims some unidentified assailant is responsible. He told me when he killed the Senator that this was what he was going to say, to protect the Senator's legend. I told him – and I tell all of you now – that Jud Robson doesn't need that kind of protection! He was a great man, and the fact that the strain of public life got to him toward the end will NEVER erase that fact! His legend is secure in Stockton, as I believe all of you will agree!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Again, Jarrod let it go on a bit, and then raised his hands to settle it down again.

"Mr. Salazar is campaigning to be named to fill out Senator Robson's unfinished term," Jarrod went on. "I have no comment on that. You can make up your own minds whether you will support him or not. What I will tell you, in closing, is what I have said in my letter to the newspaper. Mr. Salazar's claim that there is or was some conspiracy to kill the Senator, and that some unidentified assassin killed the Senator, is flat out false."

The crowd broke into applause again, although somewhat less than what it had been.

"I'm telling you right now, and I will say this until the day I die, because it is the truth – "

Jarrod didn't get any further. There was a shot. Jarrod felt a sting on his right forearm, like a bee sting. The crowd heard the shot, was frozen for a moment, and then began to panic. People began scrambling for cover or for home, running every direction.

Victoria did as she had been directed and she and Audra went into Jarrod's building and up to his office. Nick and Heath headed up the courthouse stairs, where Jarrod had sat himself down, examining his arm. The mayor and Salazar had run into the building.

"How bad?" Nick asked, yelling over the screams of the crowd.

"Not bad," Jarrod said. "Where did that shot come from?"

"The way it hit your arm, it had to come from in front of you, off to the left," Heath said.

Through the rush of other people, they saw the sheriff and one of his deputies head into a building in that direction. Other deputies were trying to get people out of the area, but people were already panicked and there was no getting them back into an orderly exit.

The Barkley men suddenly heard a scream behind them. Back and to the side of the courthouse, they saw a woman, bending over a lump of clothing in the small green area beside the courthouse. Jarrod was on his feet and hurrying over there with Nick and Heath in an instant.

The woman was screaming and crying. A man was standing there, frozen, stunned. The lump of clothing was a child.

Jarrod dropped beside them. It was a little girl, and there was blood on the front of her. Jarrod made the woman look straight at him. "I'm going to take her to Doc Merar," Jarrod said calmly, flatly, and he picked the little girl up in his arms.

Nick took hold of the man and shook him a bit, saying calmly, "Come on. We have to get moving."

The woman got up, and with Nick herding her and the man ahead of him, they began to move. Heath pushed his way through the remaining frightened crowd, clearing a path for Jarrod as he hurried to the doctor's office with a little girl in his arms. Behind them, Nick made sure they were not being pursued by anybody and made sure the man and woman kept moving. In a few moments they were all at Dr. Merar's office. He stood with the door open, knowing from the noise and the shot that he was going to be needed.

"God, I knew this day was going to be trouble," the doctor breathed to himself and herded everyone inside.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jarrod took the child straight to the treatment room and laid her on the table there. Her blood was all over the front of both of them, but Jarrod paid no attention to himself. He looked up at Dr. Merar with horror and grief in his eyes. Dr. Merar quickly used a stethoscope to check on the little girl. "She's alive," he said, and then he chased Jarrod out into the waiting room.

Nick, Heath and the man and woman were already there. The man seemed to be getting himself back together, holding the crying woman in his arms. "Are you the parents?" Heath asked.

The man nodded. "We were just on our way to the meeting. We were coming through the park to get closer so our little girl could see – " He broke into sobs.

Nick kept hold of the man and his wife, just trying to keep them somewhat calm as he got them to sit down.

When Jarrod came out of the treatment room, he stood there with the door closing behind him, looking angry, confused, unsure as to what to do. And bloody.

"Are you all right?" Nick asked.

Jarrod nodded.

Heath took hold of Jarrod's arm. His jacket and shirt were torn and just a little bloody. Heath took Jarrod's jacket off and pulled his shirtsleeve up to have a look.

"It's nothing," Jarrod said. "I hardly felt it."

"It still ought to be cleaned and dressed," Heath said.

"Later," Jarrod said.

And the rage started to grow up in his eyes. He headed for the door and was out before Nick and Heath could stop him.

Watching the people who were coming back into the street now that the shooting had stopped, Jarrod parked himself in the middle of the gathering mob. Nick and Heath took places near him, watching for more trouble because Jarrod was oblivious to the threat. He stood there with the little girl's blood on his shirt. He spoke in a voice that was frighteningly calm. "I want to know who fired that shot. You've hit a child, you cowardly piece of garbage. You've hit a child."

The sheriff was there right away. "Jarrod, let me handle this," he said. "I've got my deputies already trying to find where the shot came from."

The people who were coming back into the street started moving back out of it. Jarrod's icy ferocity was scaring the crowd. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a man was pitched down at Jarrod's and the sheriff's feet, and another man came up behind him. "This is where it came from," the other man said. "This is the man who fired the shot."

Jarrod reached for the man on the ground, but afraid of what Jarrod might do, Nick and Heath got hold of him and pulled him back before he could grab the man. The sheriff pulled the man to his feet – and they all recognized him. It was the clerk of the hotel.

The man who had thrown him down was the hotel owner. "I saw it, sheriff," he said. "Louie here fired from upstairs at the front of the hotel. He was aiming for Mr. Barkley and hit the little girl instead."

The sheriff wrestled the clerk off before anyone else could have at him. People began to move back toward Jarrod again, but keeping their distance, not sure what he was going to do. Jarrod eyed them, one by one. "What's the matter with all of you? Have you lost the sense you were born with?" His voice was so calm, so straightforward, that some of the people physically shrank in front of him. "You've been listening to a stranger tell you lies and you've believed him instead of me, a man you've known all your lives. And now it's come to this, a little girl shot down in the street. Go home. Go home and think about what in the world you've been doing."

Nick and Heath drew Jarrod away, out of the crowd and to his office. Once there, they closed the door and locked it, pushing Jarrod into the middle of the room. He stood there, all the energy draining out of him.

Victoria and Audra were waiting there in silence. Audra was just about in tears. "Who was hit?" Victoria asked.

"A little girl," Heath said. "Jarrod's taken a nick in the arm."

Audra's tears came out at the mention of the child. Victoria took hold of Jarrod's arm and examined the wound. "It's just a scratch. Audra, will you get some fresh water from down the hall? We need to clean and dress this anyway."

"Do you have any fresh clothes in here, Jarrod?" Nick asked.

Jarrod looked at his bloody shirt and the jacket Heath was carrying. "Only a shirt, in the chest in the alcove," he said quietly, played out.

Nick fetched the shirt quickly.

"Let's get this shirt off you," Heath said and helped Jarrod out of his shirt.

"Where do you keep your medical supplies?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod said, "There are some in the bottom drawer of the desk."

Jarrod didn't say much more as his brothers sat him down in a chair. Audra came back with water. Victoria fetched the medical supplies and in a few minutes, she had the small wound cleaned and bandaged. Nick helped Jarrod get into the fresh shirt.

Once dressed again, Jarrod sat down behind his desk and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Nick poured him a scotch and brought it to him, saying, "Drink this."

"No," Jarrod said. "I don't need it."

"Well, then, I do," Nick said and drank it.

Then Nick and Heath sat their mother and sister down, and they all waited in silence for Jarrod to come back from wherever he had gone to get himself under control.

"Jarrod, it's over," Heath said. "The child's in the doctor's hands and the shooter's in the sheriff's."

Jarrod suddenly glared at him. "And where is Salazar?"

Everyone sighed. That, they didn't know.

Jarrod sighed, hanging his head. Then he got up, heading for the refreshment table and the scotch he had declined a few moments ago. He poured himself a shot's worth and tossed it down, then said, "I want to go see how the little girl is."

"I wouldn't, Jarrod," Heath said. "There's still a crowd out there, and I don't know who they're blaming for all this."

Jarrod closed his eyes. "We have to find a way to put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt."

"It's not all up to us," Heath said. "Those people down there have to want to stop it."

"Then we have to find a way to get them to stop it," Jarrod said, and suddenly the ire was rising up again. "A child has been shot! A child, for God's sake!"

"Look, Jarrod, I know how bad you feel about that, but we just gotta sit tight for a spell," Nick said. "We move too fast on this and we might make it worse. Just sit down and take it easy for an hour or so. Let things settle down out there."

Victoria got up and took her eldest by the shoulders. "Nick is right. We just need to stay here and let things calm down out there."

Jarrod sighed his frustration out and sat back down behind his desk. No sooner was he seated than a knock came on the door. Nick, the closest, opened it slightly to see who it was. He saw, and he growled, "What do you want?"

Salazar was there, alone. "May I speak with you all?" he asked.

"Let him in, Nick," Jarrod said, closing his eyes against the man. "Let him have his say."

Salazar came in, but Nick did not close the door behind him. Both younger Barkley brothers took a close look at the man to make sure he wasn't armed. Salazar stopped in front of Jarrod's desk, behind the two chairs where Victoria and Audra sat. The women glanced at him, but did not stay turned to look at him.

Salazar spoke slowly. "I am – devastated about what's happened," he said.

"Are you?" Jarrod said very slowly, standing up and leaning across his desk, glaring. "What did I tell you right after you shot Jud Robson? Didn't I tell you not to lie, that I wouldn't be part of it? Didn't I tell you Jud Robson's reputation would withstand what happened to him at the end of his life? You seemed to agree with me, and then you started with all the lies."

"I have nothing to say about my behavior," Salazar said, and everyone realized he was not going to apologize for it. But he went on. "I just wanted to let you know that I would be returning to Washington on the train tonight. I won't be petitioning to take the Senator's place anymore. And I deeply, deeply regret that a child has been injured."

"Get out," Jarrod said. "If you have no apology for me, go out there and apologize to the citizens of Stockton before you leave. They're the ones you really owe the apology to."

Salazar said, "I've already given a statement to the newspaper. An extra edition will be coming out this evening. And now, I will take my leave of you and never darken your door again."

Salazar left, and Nick closed the door behind him. Jarrod stayed standing until Salazar was gone.

"It sounds like he wants to get out of town while the getting is good," Nick muttered.

"That was more than I expected, but less than I hoped for," Victoria said.

"He's a politician, Mother," Jarrod said. "That was the best we were ever going to get."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After an hour or so, the street seemed to return to normal, and the Barkleys took a chance and went to the doctor's office. The child's parents were still there, but they looked far more at ease. "She's going to be all right," the father said.

"She's very groggy and has gone back to sleep," the mother said with a smile. "When I told her that you carried her over here, Mr. Barkley, she said 'Wow.'"

Jarrod had to smile. "I'm just grateful she'll recover and terribly sorry she was hurt."

"It wasn't your fault, Mr. Barkley," the man said. "You were hit, too, weren't you?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Jarrod said, lifting his forearm. "Hardly worth a bandage. I was far more concerned about your daughter."

"Yes, we saw how concerned Mr. Salazar was," the man said, almost sneering. "You ran to help us. He ran away."

"Well," Jarrod said, "I was afraid she needed a doctor fast, and I could see you needed someone to help you. I'm just glad my brothers and I were close by."

After consoling the family a bit more, the Barkleys decided to go to the livery stable for their transportation and go home. As the moved through the street, people stopped and looked, but no one approached them until the owner of the hotel did. "My clerk is arrested and out of a job," he said. "I tried to stop him, but I wasn't quick enough."

"It's all right," Jarrod said. "The child is going to be all right. That's what matters."

"I think it will all start to blow over now," the hotel owner said. "Mr. Barkley, the one thing a lot people in the crowd are talking about, the thing they really noticed today, was that when that child was shot, Mr. Salazar ran into the courthouse for cover, and you ran to help the child. I think it made people remember who you really are. I never doubted you, and I'm sorry that my clerk and so many others did, but that might have changed."

The hotel owner offered his hand, and Jarrod shook it. "Thank you. I hope you're right. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."

The man at the livery stable had nothing but smiles for the Barkleys, and as they rode out of town, they were completely unmolested. A few people even waved them good-bye. It helped.

They were all pretty exhausted when dinner rolled around, so no one stayed up for very long afterward, except for Jarrod. He needed time to himself, to wind down. Whenever he thought about Salazar, his ire began to rise up again, so he just tried to put the man out of his mind. He poured himself some brandy and sat down in his thinking chair, and he thought. He thought about politics and how difficult it was to believe in anyone involved in that world – except for Jud Robson, at least the Jud Robson who used to be. Jarrod was telling the truth when he said he grieved for the man Robson was. He was an honest, honorable man. But the strain of the political world crushed him. Now that he'd had such a big taste of it himself, Jarrod could understand why that happened even to a man as strong as Robson. It made him grieve more.

In the morning, it was time to get back to as much normalcy as they could. Nick and Heath went out to work in the field, and Jarrod was getting ready to work in the library when he heard a knock at the door. He went to it and opened it.

The sheriff was there. He was holding the newspaper. He said, "I've got some good news and some bad news, Jarrod."

Jarrod sighed. "Come on in."

Victoria and Audra heard the knock and came in from the kitchen. "Hello, Steve," Victoria said. "You have the newspaper."

The sheriff came in, and they all went into the parlor. "Yeah, this is the bad news part," he said as the women sat down on the settee. "Salazar had his statement published in the paper. It's short and not so sweet." The sheriff opened the paper and read from it. "'I deeply regret the incident at the town meeting. In order to see that I am not the cause of any such incident in the future, I am leaving Stockton, and I will not be pursuing my dream of fulfilling the late Senator Robson's term in office.'" Then the sheriff looked up.

"That's it?" Audra said. "That's all he said?"

"That's it," the sheriff said.

"No admission that he lied?"

"Not even any condolences for the child and her family?" Victoria said.

"Not even," the sheriff said and handed the paper to Jarrod. "The good news is that Salazar has gone back to Washington, and the town has been pretty calm since what happened yesterday. And I'm hearing more and more that people were impressed that you helped the family yesterday, Jarrod, while Salazar ran for cover."

Jarrod looked at the paper and nodded. "Well, politicians aren't usually very good at helping out in emergencies, or at admitting they were wrong, either. I'm just grateful the child will recover. What do you think, Steve? Is it safe if I decide to go back to work in town tomorrow?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but it looks that way," the sheriff said. "I think this thing has pretty much blown over."

"Perhaps you should give it a bit longer, Jarrod," Victoria said.

Jarrod shook his head. "I've already given it long enough. I have work to do."

The sheriff said, "Let me know when you get to town. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you for the next week or so."

Jarrod smiled a little and said, "Thanks, Steve. Thanks for everything in this."

"I'm glad I was able to help," the sheriff said as Jarrod walked him to the door. "You know the Barkleys always have a friend in me."

"We know, Steve," Victoria said. "Thanks for stopping by."

Jarrod said good-bye at the door and then came back into the parlor. Victoria and Audra could tell by the look on his face that he still carried a lot of unhappiness over this whole thing. Victoria said, "I think it's time to let it go, Jarrod."

Jarrod nodded, looking at the newspaper once more before dropping it onto the coffee table. "It'll take a while for me to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth."

"This too shall pass," Victoria said.

Jarrod remembered she had said that to the mayor, and Jarrod chuckled a little. "You know what I think I'll do?" he said then. "I think I'll get myself together and go herd some cattle. Tomorrow is soon enough to get back to being a lawyer."

Victoria and Audra both smiled as Jarrod gave each of them a kiss. Then he headed for the hall for his hat and his gunbelt, and before he went out the front door, he said, "See you at dinner."

The End


End file.
